ESL Life Abroad - Crystal Powell

In my opinion, what is American food really like?

What I thought typical American food was like before I came here:

McDonald’s and KFC came into my life when I was 13 years old. Exotic, interesting, different, and delicious were my comments on them. French fries, spicy chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, fried nuggets, and Coca Cola at that time became the best treat for me. I thought that was American food and it was awesome. I couldn’t find anyone around me who didn’t like it.

Later on, there was Pizza Hut, which was also yummy and popular. Then, when I was older, I realized that it was so unhealthy: greasy fried food, high in sodium, and lack of nutrition. It was so bad for American people to eat that every day, seven days a week. There was no doubt that was why America ranked the No.1 country for obesity.

Before I came here, due to my understanding of American food, I brought tons of Chinese cooking ingredients. The reason was simple and obvious---I didn’t want to be unhealthy and I wanted my meals to vary day to day.

What American food is like for me now:

Since I arrived in Nashville, I have experienced the real American food. Various, fast, informative, and balanced become the new comments on it for me.

Various: As it is known, America is commonly called a melting pot. It is an immigrant country and people from all over the world are living here. When they move here, they also bring in different cultures. Different cuisines are another thing they contribute to this country. When you are hungry, you can choose all sorts of food to eat. Some of them include: Italian, Mexican, Japanese, German, Greek, and Chinese. People here have massive amounts of options when it comes to food. There is even an international food aisle in almost every supermarket. I suddenly realized another thing: Americans don’t always eat hamburgers and pizzas every day. My bias towards American food was not true.

Fast: Fast food is the universal name for McDonald’s and KFC. I believe most Chinese think America is the kingdom of fast food. There are working people here who have a very tight schedule. Most only have a 30-minute lunch break and they want their lunch to be fast. There are other kinds of people who just want to grab a quick meal instead of shopping for food and cooking it. That’s why fast food restaurants are scattered everywhere in this country. They not only have McDonald’s and KFC, but also have millions of others. Some of them include: Wendy’s, Arby’s, White Castle, Krystal, Taco Bell, Captain D’s, and Burger King. People can simply order their fast food through a drive-through and get their food in 3 minutes. What else can beat that if you are in a hurry or you don’t want to wait? If you don’t care for this kind of food and you still want to be quick, don’t worry, there is plenty frozen food that you can just toss into a microwave for 5 minutes and voila, you have your meal. I have to admit this kind of food is not good for you unless you are in a hurry.

Informative: I have to say, Americans are inclined to read their food packaging more than Chinese. Food packages here definitely provide more nutrition facts about the food inside. For example, how many calories, sodium, protein, vitamins, minerals, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol does food or drink possess. It is required in America to list all the ingredients or facts about food on packages. Therefore, people can choose more carefully and conveniently when they decide what to eat.

Balanced: Earlier, I mentioned fast food and you must have thought American food was unhealthy like what I thought before. Although still unhealthy, I have also seen some organic stores here; Whole Foods is one of them. They are promoting a healthy eating concept. There are organic fresh vegetables and fruits. No trans fat and no gluten food is available here. Low sodium, low fat, and high fiber food can be found here, too. Actually, the before-mentioned food can be found in most supermarkets in the USA. Also, Americans definitely drink more milk, such as low-fat milk, and they eat more dairy. Dairy is a very good source of calcium and vitamin D, which is a must for healthy bones.

Overall, healthy or unhealthy, it all depends on people’s individual eating styles. If you decide to live a healthy life, you will choose wisely on what you eat. People should be responsible for their own food. So now, what do you think of American food?